Lace making has been declared heritage of national importance to spread its name and to promote preservation, the government said on Wednesday.

Bobbin lace is best known in Idrija, western Slovenia, but it is also widely practised in nearby Železniki and Žiri.

Žiri and Idrija have had lace making festival since the early 1950s, and the festival in Železniki has been around since the early 1960s.

Government data show there are over 100 associations and groups dedicated to bobbin lace making.

Bobbin lace was traditionally used to decorate clothes and home textiles, but its use has in recent decades spread to fashion accessories and stand-alone artworks.